Woven coverlet

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A woven coverlet or coverlid (derived from Cat. cobre-lit [1] ) is a type of bed covering with a woven design in colored wool yarn on a background of natural linen or cotton. Coverlets were woven in almost every community in the United States from the colonial era until the late 19th century. [2]

Contents

History

Overshot coverlet once owned by William and Elizabeth Conner, 19th century Overshot coverlet 3415 - DPLA - 25272039cf3264e20448c090eeb01721 (page 1).jpg
Overshot coverlet once owned by William and Elizabeth Conner, 19th century

Coverlets of 18th century America were twill-woven with a linen warp and woolen weft. The wool was most often dyed a dark blue from indigo, but madder red, walnut brown, [2] [3] and a lighter "Williamsburg blue" were also used.

Two beds topped by colored coverlets Lova, 2007-04-21.jpg
Two beds topped by colored coverlets
Jacquard coverlet, 1858, Children's Museum of Indianapolis. The Childrens Museum of Indianapolis - Jacquard coverlet - overall.jpg
Jacquard coverlet, 1858, Children's Museum of Indianapolis.

From the turn of the 19th century, simple twill-woven coverlets gave way to patterned hand-woven coverlets made in two different ways: [2]

Wool and cotton double cloth coverlet, early 19th century, in the Cooper Hewitt. Coverlet - Google Art Project (6861022).jpg
Wool and cotton double cloth coverlet, early 19th century, in the Cooper Hewitt.

Summer-winter coverlets were reversible, and the summer-winter term refers to the structure not the color. The summer-winter coverlet should not be confused with double weave and is more closely related to overshot. Like double weave, it is dark on one side and light on the other but there is only one layer of cloth, therefore it is much lighter in mass and thickness.

Following the introduction of the jacquard loom in the early 1820s, machine-woven coverlets in large-scale floral designs became popular. [5]

See also

Double jacquard coverlet with self fringe, woven by John Klein in 1859 John Klein coverlet - DPLA - 1e1a2c451ec6f56ebbc65018d1d02f47 (page 10).jpg
Double jacquard coverlet with self fringe, woven by John Klein in 1859

Notes

  1. Wedgwood, Hensleigh (1855). "On False Etymologies". Transactions of the Philological Society (6): 70.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Weissman, Judith Reiter and Wendy Lavitt: Labors of Love: America's Textiles and Needlwork, 1650-1930, New York, Wings Books, 1987, ISBN   0-517-10136-X, p. 80-97
  3. American Woven “Coverlids”
  4. Allstand Cottage Industries brochure at the Hunter Library Digital Collections, retrieved 20 June 2007
  5. Coverlets Special Exhibit

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